Out With the Old and In With the New Busch

 It’s been an interesting off-season for the Redbirds. Three everyday starters will be replaced and a bevy of new middle infielders and pitching firepower are now aboard to make their third straight run at a National League division championship and beyond. But first things first, 2006 will be the inaugural season of the new Busch Stadium, which is still under construction and should be ready for the Cards home opener Monday, April 10 against the Brewers.

  Seeing old Busch Stadium come tumbling down didn’t exactly sit well with me, though. I liken it to Burt Reynolds throwing away all his toupees.  It is the only place in the world (with the exception of the homes of the Razorbacks: Bud Walton Arena and Razorback Stadium) where I have ever high-fived complete strangers.

  The digital renderings I have seen of the new stadium are remarkable, so the change won’t be that bad, in spite of my wistfulness. Here are some basic facts about the new Busch Stadium.

* 49,000 seat capacity

* $400 million construction cost

* field dimensions at 336 feet down the left-field line, 390 in the left-field power alley, 400 in center field, 390 in the right-field power alley and 335 to the right-field foul pole

* wide-open concourse areas with unobstructed views of the playing field

* an adjacent urban neighborhood called Ballpark Village located on the north side of Clark Street with offices, retail space, restaurants, housing and a Cardinals Museum 

* Over each of the four main entrances will hang a large sign with "BUSCH STADIUM" in block letters and "HOME FIELD OF THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS" in smaller letters underneath

   The field gradually slopes down about 40 feet from home plate out that will allow pedestrians to get a glimpse of the game from soon-to-be constructed Clark Street. This might make for livelier ground balls. Players at home plate will have a skyline view of the Gateway Arch beyond the scoreboard.

  Much of the outfield area behind the wall and a few rows of seats is open, unlike the old stadium, which could create greater wind play. It should be cooler  – the old stadium bottled in the heat because of its bowl shape – but there will be no way to tell if it will be a hitter’s park until the season begins.

  One thing’s for sure, it should be nirvana for Cardinals fans.

 “In and around the ballpark, there will be numerous landmarks that reflect where Busch Stadium was and where some of the more significant moments in Busch Stadium occurred. There will be numerous elements within the new ballpark which reflect the tradition of St. Louis and St. Louis architecture and its landmarks," Cardinal President Mark Lamping said.

 Fans were holding their breaths at the notion that earlier in the off-season it was not known if the new stadium would hold the same name. In fact, early drafts of the stadium were called “Cardinals Field.” Fortunately, the organization finally signed with Anheuser-Busch on exclusive naming rights through 2025, allowing the history and tradition of the Redbirds to continue.

 "We looked at the tradition and the legacy. When you have something for 50 years that’s called Busch Stadium, we felt that it wouldn’t be appropriate to do anything other than that,” said Tony Ponturo, Anheuser-Busch’s vice president of global media and sports marketing.

 "It’s been such a part of all of our lives here in St. Louis for so long that it’s only right," said Ozzie Smith, who was joined at the announcement of the naming-rights deal by fellow Cooperstown enshrinees Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst. "I told Tony Ponturo that to even talk about putting some other name on this stadium would be sacrilegious."

   Tickets for the 2006 season go on sale Saturday, March 4. No doubt the players are excited, but I wonder if the Cards hitters aren’t mindful of trying to get that first hit or homerun in the new ballpark. And will pitchers throw tight to avoid having a visiting player nab that honor? There have also been some rumblings that Manager Tony LaRussa might tinker the starting rotation to time the first start in the park with defending Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter.

  Cardinal newcomers such as Junior Spivey, Juan Encarnacion, Braden Looper, Sidney Ponson and Larry Bigbie will have a lot of white in their eyeballs because of the splendor of the new stadium and the always fervent fan support.

 I can’t wait to go to a game this year at the new stadium, watch a Pujols bomb fly down the left-field line into the upper deck and high-five a fresh batch of strangers.